“Ah, right. Sorry. If you don’t mind me asking—cancer?”

I shake my head. “Old age.”

“Is that why you agreed to help? Because you need money to care for him?”

“No.” I look around the cabin, at the luxuries I’ve never had. “I agreed because I don’t have a choice. The show paid off the government, and now you’re all here. The island doesn’t want you here. I have—a very bad feeling.”

Chase’s phone buzzes again. He glances down at it with irritation, but that soon turns into relief. “Oh—it’s Rory. You don’t mind if I take this?”

I don’t, and soon there are two faces beaming at us on video when he answers.

“Hey, how’s Mauritius?” a curly-haired, pale boy with brown eyes asks cheerfully. “Or was it the Bahamas? You didn’t say where you were exactly.”

“This who you’ve been hanging out with?” asks the second boy, dark-skinned with close-cropped hair. He hones in on me before I can move out of view. “How’re y’all doing?”

“Alon’s our tour guide,” Chase tells them. “Alon, this is Rory and Jordan. I’m at this island called Kisapmata. My dad’s in charge of a show they’re filming here, and I wanted to tag along.”

“Never heard of Kisapmata. What are they known for? White sands? Gorgeous girls?”

Chase hesitates. “No. They’ve got white sands here, but it’s an uninhabited island with a ton of ghost stories. Sorry for lying, I just really wanted to avoid any questions.”

The boys don’t seem angry by the admission. “I’d fly to Antarctica if that’s the only option I had to get away from Riley Sedgwick,” Rory says promptly. “I’ve been telling you from the very first date that she was going to cheat on you, man.”

“I know,” Chase says unhappily. “I should have listened.”

“From where I’m sitting, it looks like you’ve got things figured out,” the other boy says, still eyeing me. “Was that post all a lie, man, or did you really hook up with someone while you’re there?”

Askal, always keen on inserting himself at the crucial moment, worms his way between us and the phone, rumbling contentedly at the two instead of barking like he had at Riley.

“And you got a pooch!” Jordan says delightedly. “Awww, look at you. This your friend’s?”

“Yeah. This is Askal.”

“Awesome name,” Rory says.

“It means stray dog,” I say.

“Dope. Look, Jordan and I called ‘cause we’re worried about you, dude. At least you’ve got yourself a vacation on some nice beach—”

“Even if it’s a haunted beach,” Jordan chimes in.

“—where she won’t be able to fly to ruin your vibe. Dunno what the singles population is out there, but you better get a couple of rebounds in before you come back. Do something fun for a change.”

“Seconding getting laid,” Jordan adds mischievously.

“Do you want me to leave?” I ask Chase quietly.

He shakes his head and gestures for me to stay. I oblige, drifting to the kitchen. “Friend of yours looks way too young to be part of any TV crew,” I hear Jordan say. “And way too cute.”